Alarm for wet-pipe automatic fire-extinguishing systems.



I C. W. KERSTETER'. ALARM FOR WET PIPE AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTJNGUISHING SYSTEMS. APPLICATION men JULY 20; 1914.

1,21 1,452. Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

62%:5951 7 nzenfif ENTTEED 8151s CHARLES W. KERSTETER, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1914. Serial N 0.852957.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLE's XV. KER- s'rn'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarms for -Wet-Pipe Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means applicable to wet-pipe automatic fire extinguishing systems for giving an alarm when the system is fired by the opening of one or more sprinkler heads occasioned by the occurrence of a fire, and which at the same time will not cause the giving of an alarm by the conditions brought about by water hammer.

The principal object of the invention, broadly stated, is to provide improved means whereby the, opening of the main valve opens a duct or passage through which water may pass from the interior of the main casing, or, infact, from any part of the system above the main' valve to a receiving chamber of an' alarm device whereby it operates upon means of an appropriate character whether mechanical, hydraulic, or electric, for causing the giving of an alarm.

A minor object of the invention is to provide such a device .of such constructionthat an alarm will not be. given by the condition brought about by water hammer. I

To these ends the invention consists in the featuresof novelty that are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is made a part of this specification and which is a vertical, sectional elevation of the main valve of a wetpipe, automatic fire extinguishing system and the improved alarm associated there-' with.

As is customary, the device has a main valve casing l incorporated in and forming a part of the water-way of the system, having at bottom an inlet 2, for receiving water from any appropriate source of supply and at top an opening, 3, adapted to communicate with the lower end of the riser of the distributing system, no part of which is shown in the drawing for the reason that it is well understood in the art.

Surrounding the inlet opening, 2, of the valve casing, 1, is a valve seat, 4, to which is adapted a valve, 5, which may be of any desired construction, said valve being universally jointed to and carried by an arm, 6, suitably fulcrumed upon a support, 7, in the form of a short shaft or pin, which in turn is suitably supported by any suitable means, as for instance, by lugs or ears, 8, which are ultimately supported by the valve casing.

It is, of course, well understood in the art that in a wet-pipe system the water pressure, above and below the valve, 5, is uniform so that the valve will remain upon its seat excepting upon the occurrence of one or another of two conditions, 2'. 6;, water hammer or the firing'of the system. The aim of the present invention is to eliminate as far as practicable all effect upon'the alarm due to water hammer and at the same .time cause an alarm to be given with positiveness and certainty upon' the complete unseating of the valve due to the firing of the system or'in other words the opening of one or more sprinkler heads.

WVith a view to eliminating the effect of water hammer, a duct or'passage, 9, is formed through the valve, 5, so'that it establishes and maintains communication for the water both above and below the valve. l/Vhen it is desired to cause analarm to be given communication is established between the interior of the valve casing above the waterway orthe valve and a chamber of an alarm device, which, so far as the generic invention of the present application is concerned may be of any desired character or construction. To this end a duct or passage extends from the interior of the water-way, above the valve, to the aforesaid chamber of the alarm de'viceand this duct or passage is under the control of a valve which, in turn, is under the control of the main water valve, so that when the main water Valve is unseated by the firing of the system, it will unseat the valve of the duct or passage and permit water to flow from the water-way at a point above the main valve to the chamber of the alarm device and cause an alarm to be given, in one way or another, depending upon the character of the alarm device.

More specifically described, a casing, 10, is arranged within the main valve casing, 1, and this'casing, 10, communicates with the interior of the valve casing, 1, at a point above the main valve, the communicating opening being surrounded by a valve seat to which is adapted a valve 11, so connected Patented-Jan. e, 1917.

with the main valve, 5, that when the main valve is moved from itsseat the valve, 11, will be moved from its seat. As shown in the drawing this is accomplished by providing the arm, 6, of the main valve with a projecting heel, or tail-piece, 12, which in turn is connected by suitably articulated parts, 13, with the valve, 11, two adjacent of the parts, 18, having threaded engagement with each other for the purpose of adjustment. The valve, 11, is carried by a winged stem, 1st, or cruciform which, in turn, carries a disk, 15, against which bears a coiled spring, 16, which surrounds the stem, 1%, and bears at its other end against the casing, 10, with a tendency to hold the valve, 11, normally seated. When the valve, 11, is unseated water will pass from the interior of the water-way, through suitably constructed and arranged fittings, all of which may be designated by the number 17, and the detailsin construction of which need not be here particularly described because they will vary in different instances in order to meet varying requirements. As shown, a duct leads from the water-way through these fittings, 17, to a chamber in what is known in the art as a retard circuit closer, 18. It

is known to those skilled in the art that this is a device, the purpose of which is to close an electrical alarm circuit and cause an alarm to be given, after the elapsing of a predetern'lined period of time, with a view to preventing the giving of an alarm by a sudden impulse which is produced by water hammer while at the same time causing an alarm to be given if the presspre within the chamber of the circuit closer is maintained for the aforesaid predetermined period of" time. For the purpose of disposing of such water as may pass the valve, 11, under the influence of water hammer, a drip valve is connected with some one of the fittings, 17 of the alarm duct or bypass. Such a drip valve and its casing are shown at 19. As is customary with such valves, the valve proper, 20, is normally held a short distance from its seat by a delicate coiled spring which will yield and permit the valve to be seated upon the occurrence of a considerable pressure upon its top side, as upon the complete opening of the main valve, while, at the same time, it will hold the valve from its seat and permit small quantities of water, such as result from water hammer or leakage past the valve, 11, to escape past it. In addition to this means for giving an alarm by electricity, the bypass from the casing, 1, leads from one of the fittings, 17, through a pipe, 21, to a chamber of a hydraulic-motor alarm-device so that when the main valve is unseated, water will fiow from the interior of the main valve casing to the motor device of an alarm device, 22, and cause an alarm to be given in the manner which is well known in the art, more especially in connection with dry-pipe systems.

lVhat I claim as new is:

In a device of the class described, the combination with a main valve, a casing therefor, a lever-arm carrying the main valve, a fulcrum support for said lever-arm, carried by the casing, an alarm device having a valve casing located within the mainvalve casing, and the lower end of which is in open communication with the interior of the main-valve casing, the lower opening of said alarm valve casing having a valve seat, a valve adapted to said seat, relatively adjustable articulated members interposed between said alarm valve and the lever-arm of the main valve, a stem located within the alarm valve casing and connected to the alarm valve, a spring surrounding said stem and exerting its pressure in one direction against the alarmvalve casing, means through the medium of which said spring exerts its pressure in the opposite direction against the alarm-valve stem, the alarm device, having also a water-chamber and a duct or passage connecting said chamber of the alarm device with the interior of the alarmvalve casing.

CHARLES W. KERSTETER.

Witnesses D. M. HOPKINS, LILLIAN F. KINNUCAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

